The building at the corner of Washington and Spring Streets in Crawfordsville looks like almost any other nineteenth-century upper middle-class home. But looks can be deceiving. A blocky structure attached to the back of the house contains an example of state-of-the-art Victorian engineering - the world's first revolving jail.[1]
The cell block, not the jail itself, revolves around a central axis by means of a crank in the guard room. The mobile block of wedge-shaped cells is surrounded by a stationary cage with only one opening. By turning the crank, the jailer could rotate the entire circular cell block, aligning only the one cell at a time with the opening in the cage, effectively "locking" prisoners into their cells. Beset by mechanical breakdowns - and prisoners who figured out how to defeat the rotary design - the jail was immobilized in 1938 and closed in the 1970s. today the former sheriff's residence and jail operates as The Old Jail Museum, where visitors can see the rotating cell block in action during regular tours. Special exhibits and jail artifacts are on display in the sheriff's residence. A small gift shop features jail memorabilia (including fake handcuffs!) and works by local artists. Tours are available Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 per adult, $1 per student, free for children 6 and under.[2]
Indiana Landmarks
The Montgomery County Rotary Jail opened in 1882 as a solution to the problem of housing prisoners safely and efficiently. Its unique structure as a rotary jail was the first of its kind ever built in the United States. Today, it stands as the only operational rotary jail structure in the country.
Builders William H. Brown and Benjamin F. Haugh of Indianapolis believed their patented design would help maintain strict Victorian social order by limiting personal contact between inmate and jailer. By rotating a hand crank on which the two-tiered turntable pivoted, a jailer could bring one of sixteen pie-shaped cells to the opening, allowing one prisoner in or out.
Attached to Montgomery County’s unique jail, stands a two-story home of architectural interest itself. The sheriff and his family occupied the main and second floor of the Eastlake-style home.
The jail operated as intended for the next five decades. By 1930, however, few Hoosiers marveled at the jail’s extraordinary design. The Indiana State Board of Charities investigators noted, “this structure of brick and steel is old, insecure, unsafe . . . natural light and ventilation are poor. The revolving cell block offers dark, insanitary cells for the sixteen men it accommodates.”
Trying to salvage the county’s investment, jailers modified the building over the next four decades, primarily by immobilizing the turntable and making other upgrades to satisfy changing codes. In 1967, after numerous condemnations by inspectors, a Montgomery County grand jury ordered the structure abandoned. The jail closed in 1973.
The building has since been converted to a museum and art gallery under the care of the Montgomery County Cultural Foundation. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Montgomery County Rotary Jail
Table of Contents
The Indiana Jail Museum
The building at the corner of Washington and Spring Streets in Crawfordsville looks like almost any other nineteenth-century upper middle-class home. But looks can be deceiving. A blocky structure attached to the back of the house contains an example of state-of-the-art Victorian engineering - the world's first revolving jail.[1]
The cell block, not the jail itself, revolves around a central axis by means of a crank in the guard room. The mobile block of wedge-shaped cells is surrounded by a stationary cage with only one opening. By turning the crank, the jailer could rotate the entire circular cell block, aligning only the one cell at a time with the opening in the cage, effectively "locking" prisoners into their cells.
Beset by mechanical breakdowns - and prisoners who figured out how to defeat the rotary design - the jail was immobilized in 1938 and closed in the 1970s. today the former sheriff's residence and jail operates as The Old Jail Museum, where visitors can see the rotating cell block in action during regular tours. Special exhibits and jail artifacts are on display in the sheriff's residence. A small gift shop features jail memorabilia (including fake handcuffs!) and works by local artists. Tours are available Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 per adult, $1 per student, free for children 6 and under.[2]
Indiana Landmarks
The Montgomery County Rotary Jail opened in 1882 as a solution to the problem of housing prisoners safely and efficiently. Its unique structure as a rotary jail was the first of its kind ever built in the United States. Today, it stands as the only operational rotary jail structure in the country.Builders William H. Brown and Benjamin F. Haugh of Indianapolis believed their patented design would help maintain strict Victorian social order by limiting personal contact between inmate and jailer. By rotating a hand crank on which the two-tiered turntable pivoted, a jailer could bring one of sixteen pie-shaped cells to the opening, allowing one prisoner in or out.
Attached to Montgomery County’s unique jail, stands a two-story home of architectural interest itself. The sheriff and his family occupied the main and second floor of the Eastlake-style home.
The jail operated as intended for the next five decades. By 1930, however, few Hoosiers marveled at the jail’s extraordinary design. The Indiana State Board of Charities investigators noted, “this structure of brick and steel is old, insecure, unsafe . . . natural light and ventilation are poor. The revolving cell block offers dark, insanitary cells for the sixteen men it accommodates.”
Trying to salvage the county’s investment, jailers modified the building over the next four decades, primarily by immobilizing the turntable and making other upgrades to satisfy changing codes. In 1967, after numerous condemnations by inspectors, a Montgomery County grand jury ordered the structure abandoned. The jail closed in 1973.
The building has since been converted to a museum and art gallery under the care of the Montgomery County Cultural Foundation. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
information from
http://www.rotaryjailmuseum.org/history.htm
http://www.indianalandmarks.org/tours/heritage-travel/pages/map.aspx?LocationID=30